Black Sheep
by CasusFere
Summary: Loyal servant, sadistic monster... The enigmatic creature known only as Blackout. A series of introspective shorts featuring those who knew him best, and those who hated him the most.
1. Interlude I: Megatron

A/N - Short introspective piece - Megatron's thoughts on Blackout.

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Megatron watched Blackout and Bonecrusher leave, smirking at their backs. He knew Blackout would start baiting the volatile Bonecrusher again as soon as they were out of earshot, but he honestly didn't care. His Decepticons were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.

And if they weren't, well… the strong ruled, and the weak became Blackout's toys. The big mech's unconventional hobbies were an asset in more than one way; after a few years living in close quarters with Blackout, the most strenuous Autobot interrogation would seem like a vacation.

Blackout was one of his favorites, he had to admit. His loyalty was a perfect foil to Starscream's treacherous nature. Despite their constant fighting – or actually,_ because_ of it – the two made an excellent pair. Each strove to out do each other, pushing them to excel. It was a never-ending game of one-upmanship that had proved devastating to more than one Autobot.

Blackout – massive, powerful, cunning and dedicated. Well worth the trouble of acquiring him.

His creator had designed him as a field medic; strong enough to pull even the largest of the wounded to safety. Unfortunately, Blackout was more interested in taking things apart than putting them back together. He was fascinated by pain and fear, and used his knowledge of medicine in ways his surgeon creator never would have approved.

Even so, Megatron had had to put a great deal of effort into taming his hound. Blackout had not been inclined to listen to anyone, not even his creator, and certainly not some stranger.

When words failed to convince Blackout to join his cause, Megatron ended up dragging the impertinent mech out of the sky and beating him into stasis lock. Blackout had come out of it disorientated but furious, and not at all inclined to obey.

So Megatron beat him back down, and stood over Blackout's barely-conscious form, speaking quietly to the shivering mech of his vision for Cybertron. It took several repeats of this before Blackout started to listen, but finally he looked at Megatron with guarded respect, keeping his mouth shut and his weapons offline. The Lord Commander had smiled, and so began Blackout's real education.

Tactics, combat, aerial maneuvering – turning Blackout from a hulking bully into a sophisticated monster; channeling his fascinations into a terrifying weapon.

Yes, Blackout was certainly one of his favorites, now that he'd learned his place.

Kneeling at Megatron's feet.


	2. Interlude II: Ratchet

A/N- So originally,_ A Day in the Life of a Decepticon Psychopath_ was supposed to be a loose series, with the _Black Sheep_ snippets as interludes. The problem is that the rest of the 'series' sucked, which is why _Black Sheep _and _A Day in the Life _are posted separately. So now, months later, I'm typing up the introspective interludes and posting them anyway, despite the loss of the series. This one and the other I've got written and am editing are both in first person rather than third like Megatron's part, though. Why I did it that way, I'm not entirely sure, but Megatron's part does seem better in third, and this one is definitely better in first. :P

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He wasn't supposed to be this way. I made him to help people, not hurt them...

And yet, there he is, the very worst of the worst, a sadistic monster. What did I do wrong?

I tried to give him everything he needed to be a good person, an aid to those in need... Strength to carry the largest of the wounded to safety, speed to get there in time, confidence to stay calm in the midst of terror and pain... and compassion, to drive him on.

But he uses his strength to intimidate and destroy, his speed to run down the very people he was to protect, and his compassion-

It's the most horrific part about him, his ability to show compassion and empathy even as he tortures. The few who survive his attention with some semblance of sanity tell me of the gentle voice that crooned to them even as it hurt them. A voice that haunts their dreams and leaves that dead look in their eyes.

And I'm responsible for all of it.

He was my creation, after all. He is what I made him to be. I can't even blame Megatron; my sparkling had a cruel streak long before Megatron knew of him. At first I tried to temper it, tried to teach him ethics and morals and love, but he soon proved himself uncontrollable. He did what he wanted, knowing that there was nothing I could do to stop him. Against my wishes, he ignored his training as a field medic in favor of his own pursuits.

To my dismay and dawning horror, he showed more interest in learning how to break a person than how to put them back together.

Then Megatron came, and any hope I still had of rehabilitating my wayward creation as lost. In retrospect, it wasn't a surprise that he choose to side with the Decepticons. They not only allowed him to pursue his 'studies,' they actively encouraged him, channeling his twisted passions into a weapon to be used against the Autobots.

Every time his name came up after a fight, it was like being stabbed in the spark. My creation was not only hurting _people_, he was hurting my friends. As the war escalated, more and more of my comrades came back, victims of a monster _I_ created.

There are nights I can't look at my own reflection without seeing all the ones I couldn't save.

But no matter how I avoid it, one truth remains -

I killed them.


	3. Interlude III: Starscream

Blackout, Blackout,_Blackout._

Why does _everything_ have to be about Blackout?! Just for once, I'd like to have a conversation with my _glorious _leader that doesn't involve slagging _Blackout_. He's not even in the room, and he's _still_ in the conversation.

What does he have that I don't, anyway? I'm faster than he is, a far better shot, and my kills outstrip his by so much that it's ludicrous! But who is it that Megatron pets and cossets? Blackout. Slag it, Megatron practically fawns over him, praising him and rubbing it in my face.

I hate him.

And the slagger isn't shy about it, either, shooting me smug looks whenever I have the misfortune of being forced to attend Megatron. And then laughing while Megatron ridicules me!

He's even worse in private, never shutting his slagging mouth. _I_ am the ranking officer! Me! And he shows me no respect. I can't even shut him up like I would anyone else, because he's Megatron's slagging_ pet_. So he just runs his vocalizer and gets away with it, calling me traitor to the cause and worse. The bastard doesn't even know what the Decepticon cause_ is!_ Ambition, cunning, self reliance –_ these _are Decepticon virtues! Virtues that I have, virtues that I used to claw my way to my rank. I _earned _my place, and he has the nerve to call me traitor?

What use is he to the Decepticons, anyway? What does he do that's so slagging valuable? He questions a few prisoners, plays fetch for Megatron, and stands around looking ugly. Smelt it, even_ Brawl _could do his job better than him, and Brawl's got all the intelligence of a lamp post.

No, he just follows Megatron around, prattling about how his 'loyalty' to Megatron makes him somehow better than me. Loyalty, feh... an Autobot virtue. His programming betrays his origins. Once and Autobot, always scum. Megatron should know that, but he insists on keeping that slagging stray around, insists on giving him the credit that _I _deserve.

_I _am the second-in-command of the Decepticon Empire, and someday, I _will _be first. And then Blackout will die.

But first, I think I'll make the bastard beg.


End file.
